Report: Joachim Löw planning for Bayern Munich heavy lineup at Euros

According to a report from France Football, Germany coach Joachim Löw is contemplating using a heavy Bayern Munich contingent at the European Championships this summer.

The working theory is that Löw has realized that a core group of players who already play together for their club team will have a better chance at short-term success in a tournament setting than a group of players mixed and matched together:

In its new issue, France Football reveals that Joachim Löw, the German coach, could rely on many players from Bayern Munich against France to oppose the French a compact block.

For its debut at the Euro, June 15, the French team could face a German team with strong Bavarian consonance. According to our information, Joachim Löw has been concocting a plan for a few days to try to make the world champion fall by betting on a big block composed in majority of players from Bayern Munich. With Manuel Neuer in goal, the central defense formed by Jerome Boateng and Niklas Süle, Joshua Kimmich who would be reinstalled at right back in order to make room in midfield especially for his Munich teammate Leon Goretzka, wings occupied by Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sané, without forgetting the expected return of Thomas Müller as an axial attacking midfielder. In total, eight Bavarians could be facing France, or perhaps even nine, with the latest addition, 18-year-old Jamal Musiala, expected to be in the 23-man squad and could come on at any time.

The impetus for this move is that Löw wants to finish on a high note before turning over the reins to Hansi Flick.

The interesting part of this report is that it insinuates a couple of major things:

• Löw will finally relent on bringing back players like Boateng and Müller.
• Löw could be considering a shift to a back-four with Kimmich at right-back and a central defense comprised of Boateng and Süle.

Assuming (BIG ASSUMPTION) that this is actually true and that Löw really does follow through on this plan, it seems he would use Müller as an attacking midfielder, Gnabry and Sane on the wings, Goretzka as a central midfielder, Kimmich, Boateng, and Süle as three members of a back-four, and Neuer at goalkeeper.

There would only be three positions open on the pitch (assuming Löw uses a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3): striker, central midfield, left-back.

It would seem that Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos will slot into the central midfield, while one of the Chelsea duo of Kai Havertz and Timo Werner could be used at striker. As for left-back, Robin Gosens, Marcel Halstenberg, and Philipp Max would seemingly be the leading candidates to slide into that role — if Löw is, indeed, using a back-four.